Water-Activated Life Jacket Safety Device

ABSTRACT

A device that can be permanently (or temporarily) attached to the back of a life jacket that deploys a staff or rod which sticks up high enough above the floater&#39;s head as to make them readily visible in the water. This staff or rod is generally water-activated in the sense that it is made of highly buoyant material that is forced upward out of a tube attached to the back of the jacket when in the water, and falls back down in the tube when out of the water. The staff can be brightly colored and can optionally hold a flag or other device to further increase visibility. The staff and/or flag can also have reflective portions for visibility at night.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to life jackets and more particularly to a life jacket safety device that is water-activated.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Life jackets (or life vests) are a required safety item on all boats. In some areas, children are required to wear them at all times on boats. Life jackets may also be worn by children or adults while swimming or near the water. A problem with conventional life jackets is visibility—a person generally floats in a life jacket with only the head above water. If there is any kind of swell, it may be impossible or very difficult to see the child or other person wearing the jacket in the water, especially from water level. This is because regulation life jackets are floated so that the person floats upright in the water with usually only the head above water. In particular, life jackets are floated to prevent a presentation where the person is on their stomach (which could put the face under the water). Even though most life jackets are brightly colored, they are still very difficult to see from a distance since almost all of the jacket is underwater.

Some prior art devices have had attached balloons such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,203,390 and D388,493. A disadvantage of this is that the balloon is generally stored in a pocket in the jacket and only inflates when pulled out. A child cannot be counted on to pull out the balloon if they accidentally fall in the water.

Some prior art units use an inflatable bladder to stick up to a higher level to provide visibility such as in US application 2004/0157513. However, again, the floater has to activate the bladder to assume this position.

It would be advantageous to have a device that would deploy automatically from a life jacket that would be water-activated and would increase the visibility of the floating person.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a device that can be permanently (or temporarily) attached to the back of a life jacket that deploys a staff or rod which sticks up high enough above the floater's head as to make them readily visible in the water. This staff or rod is generally water-activated in the sense that it is made of highly buoyant material that is forced upward out of a tube attached to the back of the jacket when in the water, and falls back down in the tube when out of the water. The staff can be brightly colored and can optionally hold a flag or other device to further increase visibility. The staff and/or flag can also have reflective portions for visibility at night.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Attention is now called to the following illustrations that aid in understanding the features of the present invention.

FIG. 1A shows the front of an embodiment of the present invention out of the water.

FIG. 1B shows the back of the device from FIG. 1A

FIG. 2A shows the front of the embodiment of FIGS. 1A-1B when in the water.

FIG. 2B shows the back of the configuration of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 3A shows a cross section of an embodiment of the device out of the water.

FIG. 3B shows a cross section of the embodiment of FIG. 3A in the water.

While several drawings and illustrations have been presented, it should be understood that the scope of the present invention is not limited to what is shown in the figures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a device that can be sewed, taped or otherwise attached to the back of a life jacket that will give the person wearing the jacket more visibility in the water.

FIGS. 1A-1B show a particular embodiment of the present invention out of the water, while FIGS. 2A-2B show the same embodiment in the water. An elongated hollow tube 4 open on the bottom can be attached to the back of a life jacket 1 with attachment devices 5 that can be straps, sewing, tape, hook/loop material or any other way of attaching the device to the life jacket. The jacket can use standard straps 2 and buckles 3.

A staff 6, made of highly buoyant material, resides in the tube 4. When out of the water, the staff 6 falls onto a stop in the bottom of the tube 4. When in the water, water enters the bottom of the tube 4 and pushes the buoyant staff 6 upward until it hits a second stop. In this position, the staff 6 is extending upward above the head of the floating person wearing the jacket. A foldable flag or pennant 7 can optionally be attached to the top of the staff 6. Both the staff 6 and the flag 7 can be brightly colored to enhance visibility. They can optionally contain reflective material 11 (or be made of reflective material) for reflective visibility at night.

When the jacket leaves the water, or is out of the water, the staff 6 falls back into the tube 4 under its own weight to assume an undeployed position. The flag or pennant can also simply slip into the tube 4.

FIGS. 3A-3B show a cross-section of an embodiment of the present invention. The hollow tube 4 is open top and bottom. The staff 6 is contained in the tube 4. A flag 7 can be attached to the staff 6 and optionally folded in the tube 4. The tube 4 also contains a stop 8 at its bottom end that can engage a stop 9 on the staff 6 to prevent the staff 6 from falling out of the open bottom of the tube 4. Any kind of stops and any method or technique of keeping the staff from falling out of the tube is within the scope of the present invention including a constriction in the tube 4. The tube 4 also contains an upper stop 10 that can engage the stop 9 (or other stop) on the staff 6 when in the water. This prevents the staff 6 from leaving the tube 4 when deployed. Again, any method or technique for keeping the staff 6 in the tube 4 including a constriction in the tube 4 or an enlarged section on the staff 6 is within the scope of the present invention.

The device functions as follows: When out of the water the staff 6 and flag 7 are in the tube 4 and held there by gravity as shown in FIGS. 1A, 2A and 3A. Thus when the wearer is in a boat, the staff 6 is undeployed. The stop 9 rests against the stop 8 which keeps the staff 6 from falling out of the bottom of the tube 4. If the person falls in the water (or otherwise enters the water), water rushes in the bottom of the tube 4 and pushes the highly buoyant staff 6 upward above the head of the person as shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B and 3B. The flag 7, if present, deploys. The stop 9 on the staff 6 then engages the upper stop 10 on the tube. This prevents the staff 6 from leaving the upper end of the tube 4.

While the embodiments presented have generally used a tube with a rod inside; any configuration of two members is within the scope of the present invention as long as one of the members is pushed upward along or in the other member by buoyant force when the device enters the water.

The preferred material for the tube 4 is a PVC or other durable plastic; however, any durable material can be used. The preferred material for the staff 6 is a dense polystyrene foam (Styrofoam™) that is highly buoyant; however, any strong buoyant material may be used, including any foamed plastic. As previously stated, the staff can be brightly colored such as yellow, orange or other visible color. The reflective markers 11 on the flag 7 can be aluminum, reflective paint or other highly reflective material. Reflective markers can also be placed on the staff 6.

Several descriptions and illustrations have been presented to aid in understanding the present invention. One skilled in the art will realize that numerous changes and variations can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Each of these changes and variations is within the scope of the present invention. 

1. A life jacket safety device comprising: a tube at least partially open at both ends vertically attachable to a life jacket; a buoyant staff in said tube of thickness smaller than said tube's inside diameter, said staff engaging a lower stop when said life jacket is out of water and engaging an upper stop when said life jacket is in water; wherein, when said life jacket enters the water, said staff buoyantly deploys upward from said tube acting as a visibility enhancing device above said life jacket.
 2. The life jacket safety device of claim 1 further comprising a pennant or flag on a top end of said staff.
 3. The life jacket safety device of claim 2 wherein said pennant or flag includes a light reflective portion.
 4. The life jacket safety device of claim 1 wherein said staff is made of a foamed plastic.
 5. The life jacket safety device of claim 1 wherein said tube is made of PVC.
 6. The life jacket safety device of claim 1 wherein said tube is strapped to the back of said life jacket.
 7. A life jacket safety device comprising: a first member attachable to a life jacket; a buoyant second member that slides in or along said first member; wherein said second member is buoyantly pushed up above said life jacket when said life jacket enters water enhancing visibility.
 8. The life jacket safety device of claim 7 further comprising a pennant or flag on a top end of said second member.
 9. The life jacket safety device of claim 8 wherein said pennant or flag includes a light reflective portion.
 10. The life jacket safety device of claim 7 wherein said second member is made of a foamed plastic.
 11. The life jacket safety device of claim 7 wherein said first member is made of PVC.
 12. The life jacket safety device of claim 7 wherein said first member is a hollow tube.
 13. A life jacket visibility enhancing device comprising: a vertical plastic tube attachable to the back of a life jacket at an approximate centerline; said tube containing a highly buoyant plastic rod resting on a bottom stop in said tube; wherein, said rod is buoyantly deployed vertically by water until said rod engages a top stop in said tube, said rod being pushed vertically above said life jacket along said centerline.
 14. The life jacket visibility enhancing device of claim 13 wherein said tube is PVC and said rod is a durable plastic foam material.
 15. The life jacket visibility enhancing device of claim 13 wherein said rod has a flag or pennant at its top.
 16. The life jacket visibility enhancing device of claim 13 wherein said rod is brightly colored.
 17. The life jacket visibility enhancing device of claim 15 wherein said flag or said rod includes at least some reflective material. 